The present invention relates, in general, to methods and apparatus for checking complete engagement of mating work pieces, such as electrical connectors.
Most machines, devices and other useful apparatus are made up of an assembly of joined or interconnectable work pieces or parts. In many instances, two work pieces are formed with complimentary, interconnectable, mating portions to allow one work piece to be interconnected during the assembly of a larger apparatus into the mating portion of another work piece.
This is particularly true for electrical devices which commonly have a first portion carrying an outwardly extending plug which interconnects and mates with a complimentary shaped receptacle or socket in a second electrical connector portion.
In the case of electrical connectors, it is difficult to visually determine that the plug is fully engaged or seated in the socket as a small distance, such as one mm separation between the plug and socket, can result in a non-connected electrical circuit through the connector.
Various test methods and apparatus have been revised for checking the two mated work pieces, such as a plug and a socket of an electrical connector, are completely engaged. A simple manual test uses pull/push forces on the plug and socket to insure a complete engagement between the plug and socket. However, in complex modern day vehicle's electrical connectors can frequently located in inaccessible locations within the vehicle during the assembly of the vehicle thereby making a pull/push test difficult if not impossible to complete.
In the case of electrically powered devices, a connection test uses the application of electric power to the circuit for powering the electrical device, such as vehicle lamps, windshield wipers, power door locks, etc. However, this requires a special testing device to apply power to the specific circuit undergoing test during the vehicle assembly process before the vehicle is completely assembled and thereby able to have each circuit function checked by its own switch device within the vehicle.
However, powering a vehicle circuit on and off at the end of the vehicle assembly, while able to detect an inoperative circuit, raises additional problems since the circuit elements, the wires, the plugs and sockets and the electrical devices powered by the circuits, are typically covered up during the subsequent assembly steps thereby making repair of the electrical connections difficult and time consuming.
Other electrical connector test devices capture the audible click noise of two mating connectors. However, capturing such a low level noise or sound in a noisy vehicle assembly environment is impossible or results in inaccurate test results.
Electrical or engine wiring harness testers are also known. Such testers are elaborate and, complex and costly devices which are connected to the specific vehicle or engine harness to insure positive connectivity of all harness connection points. However, harness testers are costly and must be connected to the vehicle harnesses during the assembly process which can interfere with the assembly of the vehicle.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide an inexpensive and reliable method and apparatus for checking on the complete engagement of two mating work pieces, such as the plug in socket of an electrical connector.
2D scanning lasers have been developed which can scan surface profiles of articles, and then compare the profiled dimensions with reference profile dimensions to verify the accuracy of the manufacturing/assembly operation.
Thus, it would be desirable to develop methods and apparatus for applying 2D scanner laser technology to assembly processes to verify the interconnection of work pieces and, particularly, electrical connectors.